One of the brands Undead is his commitment to the idea that no character was truly safe from death – and sometimes, even author Robert Kirkman didn’t even realize the time had come to kill off a character until they were right in front of him, as he explained when discussing the comic book version of Abraham’s death.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard – contains the author’s notes on the original issue, which featured Abraham Ford’s shocking passing on just the second page, once again driving home the idea that death could reach even the most prominent character at any time.
As a rising figure in Rick’s group Abraham’s sudden death during a heart-to-heart with Eugene caught readers off guard. In fact, it’s safe to say that Abraham’s death came as a genuine shock, leaving fans stunned and underscoring the unpredictable nature of the series.
According to Robert Kirkman, his decision to kill Abraham was as sudden as the death scene itself.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 – Written by Robert Kirkman; Art by Charlie Adlard; Color by Dave McCaig; Rus Wooten lyrics
If Abraham’s death seemed arbitrary and capricious to fans, their feelings couldn’t be closer to the truth. In The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 – the re-released color version of the original series with bonus content from the creators – Kirkman Admits He Didn’t Plan to Kill Abraham; in fact, Abraham was one of Kirkman’s favorite characters. However, while brainstorming ideas for the issue, Kirkman decided that Abraham needed to die – at least to add some emotion to an issue he considered “tedious.’
As the author states in his Luxury notes:
I had ZERO plans to kill Abraham before writing this issue. I wrote the final scene of issue #97 without having any idea what would happen on page 2 of this issue. But when I sat down to analyze the plot… I thought, “Damn, this issue is kind of boring.”… I knew I had a lot of plans for Eugene, but I started thinking about it and didn’t do it. I actually have big plans for Abraham, nothing far-reaching, and luckily he wasn’t on any covers already drawn, so… well… killing him seemed like the right option at the time.
Robert Kirkman confesses that his impulsive decision to kill Abraham was an exception to his usual approach. Typically, he predicts the story’s trajectory several points ahead, but avoids rigidly adhering to that outline. Instead, Kirkman prefers to maintain flexibility, allowing him to adapt the narrative as needed to keep it engaging. His spontaneous decision to kill Abraham exemplifies this creative approach, demonstrating his willingness to take bold and unpredictable action at any time.
Abraham’s death on The Walking Dead was ultimately the right choice for the story
The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 – Available now from Image Comics
Kirkman’s decision to kill Abraham, while shocking, served to advance the story; IThis confirmed that Negan’s group was unlike any other Rick and the survivors had faced, illustrating that they were cold-blooded killers who would kill first and ask questions later. In fact, as Kirkman explained, Abraham’s death opened up interesting opportunities for other characters. Although his death was conceived in the heat of the moment, its impact was broad and far-reaching. As Kirkman commented:
Not only was it possible, killing him at that moment did interesting things for Holly, Rosita, Eugene, Rick, and actually led to a lot of different developments in the story, always a good sign.
So while Abraham may have deserved a better fate than Kirkman gave him, true to the character’s selfless nature, his sacrifice ultimately helped secure the fates of others.
The fact that nothing in the narrative stopped Kirkman from killing Abraham without consequences or negative impact made him the perfect “red herring” in other respects. Undead properties. Since his death was not tied to any specific plot point, the creators of Undead Television series or video games could use it as needed to expand, enhance, or deepen any storyline they felt could benefit from a change. In fact, Kirkman himself suggested that the television series do just that before Glenn’s tragic death in season 6.
Robert Kirkman’s decision to reduce Abraham’s time in the comedic short was a true “kill your darlings” moment
Kirkman later hinted at the TV series version of The Walking Dead
While fans of the comic series knew of Abraham and Glenn’s deaths, fans of just the television wouldn’t know for sure, but they likely heard rumors. Given Glenn’s popularity on the show, rumors about his potential death at the hands of Negan have set Walking Dead TV fandom ablaze with speculation. To control expectations, Kirkman suggested to his colleagues on the television series that they have Negan kill Abraham first, as a ploy to convince fans that, despite the events in the comics, Glenn could escape the same fate on TV.
Abraham’s departure also highlighted one of Robert Kirkman’s key principles about writing comics, and Undead in particular: sometimes, “you have to break eggs to make a comic“.
Abraham’s fate was only possible due to the “flexible” circumstances of the plot. By all accounts, the television bait-and-switch involving Abraham worked. During those brief moments between Negan crushing Abraham’s head and then deciding to do the same to Glenn, fans who knew Abraham’s fate in the comics thought he might actually escape it in the series. Abraham’s departure also highlighted one of Robert Kirkman’s key principles about writing comics, and Undead in particular: sometimes, “you have to break eggs to make a comic“.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #98 is now available from Image Comics.